Vegetarian barbecue: check out these must-try recipes!

If you follow a vegetarian diet, know that you can easily participate in a barbecue and not miss out on socializing with family and friends. There are several tasty, healthy, and succulent dishes to grill that do not contain fish, chicken, pork, or beef.

Today, we’ve brought some recipes to prepare a vegetarian barbecue and surprise even your guests who consume animal protein, check them out!

9 recipes to make at a vegetarian barbecue

Have you ever imagined having a barbecue with friends or family while maintaining a vegetarian diet? Some original meat recipes can be modified to satisfy this preference. We are sure that you and your guests will be impressed with the flavor and creativity of the dishes. See some options below:

1. Vegetable skewer

Inspired by the classic meat skewer, the vegetable skewer has a similar assembly, but with vegetables instead of meat. First, choose your preferred vegetables; some of the most used are: red bell pepper, eggplant, chayote, onion, beetroot, carrot, kohlrabi, ginger, jalapeño, jilo, maxixe, turnip, heart of palm, okra, and tomato.

Cut the vegetables into cubes, except for the onion, which should be sliced into rings. Season everything with chimichurri, smoked paprika, saffron, cumin, and black pepper, and add salt to taste to highlight the dish's flavor.

For assembly, skewer them one by one alternately on the barbecue stick. Grill the skewers over coals until golden, turning them as needed. Ideally, the selection should match your palate so that you don't choose something you dislike or that bothers you.

While the skewers are grilling, how about setting up a cold cuts platter as a starter for the main course? Check out our tips!

2. Vegetable meats

Soy protein serves as a ready-to-grill meat, but it needs to be hydrated for up to 20 minutes beforehand. After this period, any remaining water must be removed. Only then should the soy protein be seasoned.

Gather the seasonings you like to use when cooking. Some suggestions are: annatto, saffron, cumin, thyme, a little olive oil, and salt. You can buy soy meat that mimics the taste and texture of steaks, and it's also available in various sizes. In addition to the traditional flavor, there are more options that can be part of a vegetarian barbecue:

• Calabresa flavored soy protein;

• Picanha flavored protein;

• Chicken flavored protein;

• Bacon flavored protein.

Unlike animal meats, soy protein cooks quickly on the grill, so be careful not to burn it.

3. Vegetarian sausage

Did you know that you can prepare a delicious sausage at home with soy protein? Just use edible cellulose casings to put the seasoned vegetable meat inside and tie it with a small string.

After preparation, you can grill and consume the sausage just like the original product commonly used in barbecues.

4. Garlic bread

Garlic bread is one of the most traditional barbecue side dishes and cannot be missing from a vegetarian one! To make it even tastier, prepare a spinach sauce with ricotta cream or an option based solely on mushrooms for an intense and flavorful taste. Among the options presented, there are also:

• Pumpkin sauce with spices;

• Tomato sauce with basil;

• Pistachio or walnut sauce;

• Saffron and zucchini sauce;

• Avocado and lemon sauce.

To grill the garlic bread, include a slice of mozzarella, cheddar, cream cheese, or requeijão. You can also cut cubes of gouda, gruyère, gorgonzola, and brie cheese to add on top or inside to make it even more succulent.

5. Eggplant

How about preparing a grilled eggplant at your vegetarian barbecue with healthy and extremely tasty ingredients? To make the recipe perfect and enjoy the dish's flavor, write down this suggestion in your notebook to make on weekends:

Ingredients

• 2 eggplants;

• 15 cherry tomatoes;

• 10 slices of cheddar or mozzarella cheese;

• Grated Parmesan cheese for sprinkling;

• Cumin, salt to taste, black pepper;

• Olive oil.

Preparation method

1. Remove the stems from the top of the eggplant and make a cut lengthwise.

2. Once both sides are open, season the eggplants and wrap them in aluminum foil to grill over coals.

3. Keep the vegetable on the grill for up to 20 minutes, being careful not to burn it.

6. Mushrooms

For this recipe, we suggest you set aside up to 150 grams of mushrooms. Season them with 2 cloves of garlic, butter, salt, black pepper, and smoked powder, which will give a smoky flavor to your preparation and make it even tastier. You can also finish the preparation with chopped parsley on top. Choose the mushroom option you like the most, such as:

• Chanterelle;

• Champignon;

• Hiratake;

• Shimeji;

• Portobello;

• Shiitake.

These are the most common and can be consumed at any time of the day, as they offer excellent nutrients to the body. For a side dish, we suggest roasted broccoli or a green leafy salad, seasoned with good olive oil and a garlic dressing.

7. Grilled Tofu

Make tofu skewers with mozzarella cubes, cherry tomatoes, and red bell pepper and grill them on the barbecue. Keep the food on the grill until it is completely golden and has a crust. To make your vegetarian barbecue complete and innovate your recipes, prepare an orange sauce that pairs well with tofu and makes it succulent. You will use the following ingredients:

• Juice of one orange;

• 1 tablespoon Dijon mustard;

• 1 teaspoon yeast;

• 1 teaspoon black pepper.

Put the orange juice in a bowl along with the mustard, yeast, and black pepper to make the mixture. Next, it is necessary to put the sauce in a frying pan to cook for up to 10 minutes, stirring constantly to prevent it from overcooking. When it is ready, serve it in a medium container and consume it with your grilled tofu.

8. Fruits

There are several preparations that can be made with fruits at a vegetarian barbecue, such as salads or skewers. For this first tip, we suggest you put them on wooden skewers and grill them until they are completely golden on the barbecue. Here are some fruit suggestions:

• Pineapple cubes;

• Strawberry pieces;

• Melon cubes;

• Banana slices;

• Mango cubes;

• Apple slices;

• Grapes cut in half.

You can also use the fruits to make your salad recipe with cream. If you wish, you can include whipped cream and grenadine marinated in white wine to offer a special and sophisticated flavor.

9. Sweet potato

Sweet potato is very popular in vegetarian barbecues. To prepare it, just wrap it in aluminum foil and roast it until it's almost falling apart. To know if it's done, just prick it with a fork, and if it goes in easily, it means it's ready.

We recommend that you prepare the sweet potato without the skin to facilitate consumption and prevent burning your hands when picking it up. For a side dish, we suggest roasted cassava, rice, and the orange sauce recipe we provided above.

See how easy it is to make a vegetarian barbecue with different dishes and please all palates? If you're just starting as a barbecuer, check out 5 practical tips to become an expert at lighting the barbecue in this post.

Here at Mundo CIMO, you'll find various content related to cutlery; follow our weekly posts!